League of Roofers and Construction Contractors

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Just how do you go about hiring a roofing contractor that you can trust? Just as with hiring any other home improvement or repair service, it can be kind of tough.

For one thing, it’s not like you can test drive these services like you would with a new car – the results are only really apparent after all the work has been done.

On the other hand, it’s not like buying a TV or Dishwasher – if they go wrong you can return them for a refund or replacement. You can’t return a new roof if it goes wrong.

There are however a few tell tale signs of which roofers (link address changed 10/10/2018 due to website change) you can trust – and who you should steer well clear off.

An Address

There are quite a lot of fly by night companies in this sector that should really be avoided. One way to do this is to only hire a company with a fixed, permanent address.

So when you are making first contact with them, see if they have an office that you can come down to meet them at. If they seem reluctant – or worse, flat out refuse – this should really be a red flag!

They need to be insured not just for the work itself, but also for personal injury. Otherwise, if a worker falls off your roof then it is you who may well end up liable.

This is in fact so important, you must not settle for a verbal confirmation of the insurance policy either. Insist on seeing physical copies of the insurance policies before you allow them to start any work.

Any companies that avoid this request should be absolutely avoided!

Written estimates

Only a very bad company will refuse to issue a written estimate of agreed-upon charges.

A good company on the other hand will break down exactly what you are paying for, and they will put it in writing so there is a record before they start work. What’s more, a good company should be open and upfront about what could change in the estimate, i.e. what costs may change as they progress with the work.

Avoid any company that is shady about the costs, especially one that wont put down their estimate of related charges in writing.

Too Cheap

Finally, it is very much recommended that you get estimates from an absolute minimum of three potential companies. If possible, you should really aim to get quotes from even more.

Once you have all the estimates together, discard the very cheapest – especially if they are much cheaper than the other estimates you have received.

Paying high rates is of course no guarantee that you will be getting a premium company. However, paying the very lowest wage is a guarantee that you will be hiring the worst company of the bunch.